Goodyear’s Concept Tires
We are not too surprised when a manufacturer rolls out a concept at an auto show. After nearly a century, this practice has become pretty much the norm.
However, we are much more surprised when a tire manufacturer does the same! At the Geneva Motor Show, Goodyear presented two very different tires that you certainly won’t see under a production vehicle anytime soon.
The first one is named BHO3 and was developed to be installed on the hybrid and electric vehicles of the future. By absorbing the heat generated by the rubber’s friction, this tire can actually produce electricity which can be sent to the vehicle’s batteries.
The second concept is the Triple Tube. As its name implies, this model is supposed to do the job of three different tires; with the help of various tubes, valves and pumps, different parts of the tread can be inflated to produce different effects. The first mode is designed for Eco-driving and offers low rolling resistance, which should help fuel economy. The second mode inflates the middle rubber paddles to minimize aquaplaning. The last mode is a ‘’sporty’’ mode that inflates the contact patch to provide more traction.
We obviously won’t see those tires on a car tomorrow morning, but it’s nice to see what the future holds in store for the tire market.